Received July 6, 2015; Revision received July 16, 2015
Mitochondria possess their own genome that, despite its small size, is
critically important for their functioning, as it encodes several
dozens of RNAs and proteins. All biochemical processes typical for
bacterial and nuclear DNA are described in mitochondrial matrix:
replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. Commonly, their
mechanisms are similar to those found in bacteria, but they are
characterized by several unique features. In this review, we provide an
overall description of mitochondrial matrix processes paying special
attention to the typical features of such mechanisms.
KEY WORDS: mitochondria, mtDNA, nucleoid, transcription,
replication, repair, recombination